Women spend an average of 49 hours preparing for their Christmas party, according to new research,

The study, which questioned 1,500 Brits, was carried out by teeth-whitening company BlanX. It found that women spend more time preparing for their Christmas party than any other event all year.

On average, women spend 21 hours shopping for the perfect party outfit, either in-store or online and 18 hours in the gym to achieve the perfect Christmas party body. Six hours are also spent on party hairstyles and four hours per woman on make-up, tanning and teeth whitening. It is claimed that today (November 11th) is the day that women start this preparation.

Talking about the research, Ashleigh Fell, a spokesperson for BlanX, told dailymail.co.uk: “Christmas is the party season as far as the majority of Britain’s women are concerned. It is their one chance in the year to really shine and they are determined to make the most of it.”

She continued: “Of course, having fun takes lots of preparation but UK girls are happy to devote hours to it so they can look their best and, ultimately, feel their best.”

However, despite the research, it was also reported by femalefirst.co.uk this week that a third of women recycle an old dress for their Christmas party. The study was carried out by money saving site NetVoucherCodes.co.uk.

Those questioned said that although they would wear something already in their wardrobe, they would dress it up with new accessories.